


Oh, Please Don't Hurt Me Now

by femslash



Series: I Want You/I Need You [2]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-29
Updated: 2014-07-29
Packaged: 2018-02-10 21:42:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2041272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/femslash/pseuds/femslash
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>a continuation of misunderstandings</p>
            </blockquote>





	Oh, Please Don't Hurt Me Now

Shepard sat in her desk chair, staring at Jack and Miranda. Miranda avoided her eyes, staring at the ground, the fish tank, anything other than either of the women in the room for her. Jack wanted so badly to tell Shepard to fuck off, that she could fuck anyone she damn well pleased, that it was none of Shepard's business. Just because of her little schoolgirl crush on Jack, she thought she could do this to them? But she kept her mouth shut. She didn't want to piss the commander off more.

Shepard took a deep breath. "Okay. As you presumably both know, I do not forbid relationships between crew members on my ship." She paused. Jack glanced at Miranda. Is this a relationship? They'd made out once, almost twice, Miranda was hot, Miranda apparently thought Jack was hot. Wasn't the first time that had happened. Didn't make this a relationship, didn't make all those other times relationships. Shepard cleared her throat, visibly bushing. "And I know I'd expressed an....interest...in you before this incident, Jack."

As if it had only happened once. As if the commander hadn't come down to her cabin after almost every mission. Miranda seemed to pick up on Jack's annoyance, glaring at her. She shook her head, willing her not to say anything. "However, that is no longer a, uh, issue for me, after our mission on Illium a few days ago." Oh. She'd heard about Shepard's relationship with Liara on the first Normandy. She was surprised the commander was so attached to Liara - Jack had assumed her type was more like, well, Jack. But, then again, she had heard the new Shadow Broker threaten to flay a man with her mind. Maybe she and her weren't so different after all. 

Whatever the case, that seemed like good news. Shepard was finally getting some - asari pussy no less. That should leave Jack and Miranda free to do what they want. "And what do you want?" came a thought from somewhere deep in her mind. No. She could think about that later. For now, she needed to focus on the fact that Shepard was clearly not done talking. "...but?" Jack asked, legitimately confused by the commander's frown.

Shepard leaned forward, resting her arms on her thighs. "But, only 24 hours ago, you two were at each other's throats. To find you in bed together the next morning is something of a shock." Miranda nodded, absentmindedly rubbing the back of her neck. Even Jack had to admit she was right. This was weird. So far, it was a good weird, but still.

"This is an incredibly dangerous mission. I need to have my crew in excellent condition. I need to be able to understand my crew. And I don't understand this, and I'm concerned about both of you."

Miranda and Jack turned to look at each other. Even when illuminated by the bizarrely blue light coming from Shepard's fish tank, Miranda was so goddamn beautiful. Despite plotting her death on multiple occasions, Jack had had an interest in Miranda from almost the moment they had met. At first it was simply lust - the bitch was literally designed to have a perfect body, how was she supposed to not want that. Then, she grudgingly began to admire the older woman's determination, her loyalty, her willingness to fight for what she believed in, even if what she believed in was Cerberus bullshit. She didn't know how Miranda viewed her, and that was fucking terrifying. She'd only had one or two real relationships before Purgatory, and she didn't know if she wanted one now. She knew she liked kissing Miranda. She knew her tits were even better now that she had been allowed, albeit briefly, to touch them. She knew she wanted to fuck Miranda. And, deep down, she knew she wanted to wake up next to Miranda again. And again. And again. Fucking. Terrifying.

"I don't wanna hurt her."

The words spilled out her mouth before she could stop them. That was the most honest Jack had been about her feelings in a long time. She turned bright red. Miranda smiled, a blush spreading across her own cheeks, and looked away from the shorter woman. Miranda turned to face Shepard. "It may be hard to believe, Commander, given my previous requests to have Jack removed from the Normandy, but I....care about her. Really." Jack snorted. Shepard nodded, and sat back in her chair.

"I still find this somewhat unbelievable, but you're both adults. You can make your own decisions. But so help me, if I think that this could in any way jeopardize the mission, I will have you both leave the ship. Dismissed."

They both nodded, and turned to leave. They stood in elevator, not looking at each other. Jack hoped to God that she wouldn't fuck this up. She didn't want another relationship that left her with nothing but bruised rips and a broken heart. The elevator stopped on the crew deck. Jack slammed the button to close the door before they even opened. Miranda gave her a questioning look.

"Jack, for God's sake, why did you-"

"I like you. I like you a fucking lot. Not just cuz of your tits or your ass, though both are goddamn amazing, but because you're you. You're a fucking idiot when it comes to Cerberus, but other than that you're fucking smart and shit. I don't wanna fuck this up, but I don't wanna get hurt. So yeah."

She let go of the button. The doors slid open. Miranda looked at the doors, then back at Jack. She sighed. "I don't want to hurt you either. Do you want to talk about this? I've got a coffee machine in my cabin." Jack stared at her and nodded. Miranda took her hand, and led her out of the elevator. Jack could feel the crew watching them as they walked across the communal area to Miranda's private cabin. Gawking assholes.

She sat down at a small, white table as Miranda set up the coffee to brew. Jack watched her movements. She wondered how much coffee Miranda drank, as she seemed capable of doing this in her sleep. When the machine began working, Miranda sat down across from her. They sat in awkward silence for a moment.

"I-"

"I-"

"You go first, Jack."

"No you."

Miranda rolled her eyes. "Very mature." Jack stuck a studded tongue out at her. Miranda laughed, shaking her head. Then she stopped, looking serious again.

"I haven't been in a relationship in a very long time, Jack. I don't allow people to get close to me, especially not people with a history of trying to have me killed. But I like you. Have for a while now, if we're being completely honest. I know you don't want to get hurt, and you've said you don't want to hurt me. I don't know if I can trust you. If I'm willing to."

She looked Jack in the eyes. Jack looked away. "I don't know what I want either, like fuck. The people who pay your goddamn salary ruined me, ruined the lives of so many other children. But fuck, Miranda, even I'm willing to put that aside. It wasn't....it wasn't your fault." That was probably the first time she'd ever said that out loud. Miranda was still Cerberus' head cheerleader, she knew that, but she'd apologized for what she'd said to her, tried to make up for what Cerberus had done to her. And what they'd done to her really wasn't Miranda's fault.

Miranda put her hand on top of Jack's, lacing their fingers together. "I know it's going to be a while before we face the collectors, but that could kill us. I've already missed one opportunity to spend time with someone I love. But you're not Oriana. I don't need to protect you. You don't need me to protect you. And I do want to spend time with you."

Jack nodded, still avoiding looking Miranda in the eyes. She didn't do well with this sort of conversation. But she knew Miranda was right. It was like Shepard had said - they were adults. They could look out for themselves.

"So are you, like, my girlfriend? Is that what this is?"

"I don't know if I'd call us that yet... You should buy me dinner the next time we're on the Citadel, if we're dating."

"Bitch, like I can afford more than the fucking ramen stand."

"That sounds perfect, Jack."

Jack grinned at her. A date would be fun. Not as fun as-

"You wanna finish what we started this morning?"

"You have a one-track mind, Jack.

"That's so not a no."

Miranda stood up, walked over to Jack, and kissed the top of her head. "Let's have coffee first. Then we can see if your tongue is good for anything other than crude insults."

Jack had never drunk coffee so fast.


End file.
